Pneumatic horn device



Oct. 20, 1942.

INVENTOR ALFRED B.WOOD BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE PNEUIVIATIC HORN DEVICE Application September 30, 1941, Serial No. 412,952

6 Claims.

' This invention relates to sound producers, and more particularly to pneumatic horn devices of the class having flared horn bells for amplifying and directing the sound.

' Warning signal devices for vehicles operated in certain classes of railway service, such as Diesel-electric locomotives employed speed train service, are usually provided in the form of air actuated horns which are necessarily mounted in exposed positions. Although pneumatic horns of this type are generally successful and have proved to be the most desirable signalling means for high speed train service, occasional failures of such horns have been experienced during operation of trains in heavy rain storms. It has been found that accumulations of water driven into the horns by way of the flaring horn bells have been the causes of such failures of the sound producing mechanisms.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a protective shield of simple and inexpensive construction which may be readily mounted on a horn bel1, and which is operative to prevent the collection of moisture within the horn mechanism without in any way interfering with the sound producing qualities thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following more detailed description thereof, taken in connection With the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a pneumatic horn device equipped with a shield. constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing is a sound producing device comprising a body portion 5, which is adapted to contain a suitable sound producing mechanism operable by compressed air introduced by a pipe 6, and a horn bell 1 having one end secured to the body portion 5. The outer end of the horn hell I is curved or flared outwardly and terminates in a flange portion 9. It will be understood that the sound producing device is normally mounted on the locomotive or other vehicle with the open end of the horn bell 1 facing in the direction in which the locomotive is normally driven.

According to the invention, a conical shield I2 is mounted in spaced relation with the mouth of the horn hell I. The shield l2 comprise a frustum portion l3 having a larger Open end of substantially the diameter of the flange portion 9, and provided with a nose or screen portion 20 made of wire mesh material. The frustum porin high receiving the bolts.

tion I3 may be made of sheet metal and has welded or soldered to the lip portion thereof a' plurality of bolts M. The screw-threaded ends of the bolts M are adapted to be inserted into suitable apertures formed in the flange portion 9 of the horn bell, which flang portion preferably is provided with bosses l5 having bores for Lock nuts I! are provided for securing the bolts [4 in the desired position, it being noted that the edge of the frustum portion 13 of the shield is spaced away from the flange portion 9 of the horn bell. The nos or screen portion 20 is preferably conical in form, and is secured to the smaller end of the frustum portion l3 of the shield l2 by soldering or other suitable means. In the drawing the screen portion 20 is illustrated as having a lap joint 2|.

I have found that a conical shield, constructed and mounted substantially as illustrated in the drawing, effectively prevents access of water to the sound producing mechanism of th horn device regardless of weather conditions under which the horn is operated. This desirable result is evidently caused by functioning the wire mesh screen portion 20 of the shield to divide into fine spray any water admitted to the chamber formed between the shield and the horn bell 1, after which the suction caused by flow of air past the annular end 22 of the frustum portion l3 tends to draw the spray outwardly by way of the opening indicated at 23. The conical screen ha another advantage in its ability to shed snow and ice particles, which might accumulate and clog up a screen having a relatively flat contour. The large open space 23 maintained between the conical shield and the horn bell, and theopening in the screen 20, serve to prevent any appreciable diminution in the sound producing qualities of the horn device equipped with th shield.

Having now described my invention, what I claim 'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sound producing device, the combination with a flared horn bell, of a conical shield comprising a frustum portion made of sheet material secured to and spaced from the lip of said horn bell, and a screen portion made of foraminous materialsecured to and covering the smaller opening of said frustum portion, whereby moisture passing through said screen portion may be ejected by suction caused by flow of air past'the edge of said frustum portion.

2. A conical shield constructed and arranged for association with a warning signal device having a horn bell terminating in a circular flared portion, said shield comprising a frustro-conical base portion made of sheet material, the larger open end of which has substantially the same diameter as that of said flared portion, an apex portion mad of wire mesh material secured to association with a warning signal device having a horn bell terminating in a circular flared portion,

said shield comprising a frustro-conical base portion made of sheet material, the'lar'ger open end of which has substantially the same diameter as that of said flared portion, an apex portion made of wire mesh material secured to the smaller end or said frustro-co'nical base portion, and means for supporting said shield with said larger open end thereof spaced from and concentrically aligned with said flared portion of the horn bell.

i. In a pneumatic horn device adapted to becarried in an exposed position. on a vehicle, the combination with a tubular horn bell terminating in an enlarged lip portion, of a hollow deflector shield having a maximum diameter. at least as large as that of said lip portion, said shield inby an imperforate outwardly inclined skirt portion, and means for adjustably securing said skirt portion of said shield to said lip portion of said horn bell, said means being adapted to hold said elements in spaced relation.

5. In a pneumatic horn device adapted to be carried in an exposed position on a vehicle, the combination with a tubular horn bell terminating in an enlarged lip portion, of a hollow deflector shield having a maximum diameter at least as large as that of said lip portion, said shield including a central foraminated portion surrounded tion, and a plurality of mounting elements carried by said shield and arranged to be secured to said lip portion of the horn bell for maintaining the edge of said skirt portion in spaced relation with respect to said lip portion.

6. A deflector shield constructed and arranged for association with a signal horn device of the type having a horn bell terminating in a circular flared portion, said shield being of substantially conical formand comprising a frusto-conical base portion and an apex portion joined thereto, one of said portions being made of wire mesh material and the other of imperforate sheet material, said base portion having its larger open end disposed adjacent and spaced from said flared portion of the horn bell, and means for mounting said shield exteriorly of said horn bell. I

ALFRED B. WOOD. 

